So you may have noticed it says "Available" and not "Single." I'm
in a physically polyamorous relationship with an amazing woman
sporktastic. If
you have interest in a couple, definitely send me/us a message.
Anyway, I know that (the already in a loving relationship "thing")
is a deal breaker for many people, so I thought you should know the
situation up front.

It occurred to me that I should also mention: if I saved you to my
favorites and you haven't heard from me, it was because I was
interested in talking to you but didn't have the time to message
you properly, and was concerned I'd forget. I'm not a creepy guy,
just absent-minded. :)

I love new experiences, but I'm not opposed to surfing the couch.
If you can't hold your own in a conversation, if you're afraid to
speak your mind or stand up for what you believe in (even if others
find it insipid or ridiculous), then we might not get along. I've
learned not to trust physical attraction as the sole indicator of
potential - there's nothing worse than sitting down with someone
you think you're interested in, only to realize you have no
long-term potential based on who they really are. I'm slowly moving
into adulthood, but I refuse to give up the better aspects of being
a child - to paraphrase XKCD, I'm an adult, and I get to decide
what that (being an adult) means. (http://xkcd.com/150/)It's an
interesting metamorphosis, and though it's far from easy, I believe
I'm on the right track.

I am insightful, gregarious, and more than a little nerdy. I don't
have what the politicians call "traditional values," and I think
that I'm better off for it. It sometimes seems as though we all
might be better off if we could be a little less tied to tradition
(not that it has to be outright abandoned, I've just never been one
of those "Do it because it's what's always been done" kinda guys).
I'm a recovering conservative (more than ten years clean), though
I'm pretty sure I was just a confused libertarian at the time. I'm
a progressive now, and while I certainly (probably) won't judge you
(outwardly) based on your political leanings, it seems only fair to
let you know in advance that I have a (bad?) habit of questioning
sacred cows. It should also be noted, however, that I tend to
question everything, I'm no one's sheep, and no, I don't think it's
a bad thing. To quote Carl Sagan, "Better the cold truth than a
warm fantasy."

I'm learning to delude myself into enjoying the often unenjoyable
trappings of adulthood, or at the very least to grit my teeth and
get it over with so I can get back to whatever has my attention for
the moment. Seeking inner (and sometimes outer) peace, and
remembering how to enjoy life's simpler pleasures without allowing
them to sidetrack me completely (at least not all the time).
Dieting, trying to integrate more physical activity into my gamer
lifestyle. I've always been what one might consider fat positive,
just not all that self-positive. :)

Playing the devil's advocate, dry humor, weaving massive
fabrications (for humor purposes only, I assure you), being wrong,
being clumsy (they call it The Touch of Chaos), pretending to be
nervous so I don't seem so damn arrogant, empathizing, video games,
finding good and/or interesting music, reading people, predicting
the future, surprising people, and again, being wrong. (I'm
simultaneously somewhat bad at being wrong, but it happens often
enough that I assume I've got a gift.) I like to take things apart,
though I'm not always interested in putting them back together.
This has not always been a positive quality to have, but the
experience comes in handy when you're trying to re-wire the power
supply for your laptop in your hotel room using only a pair of
needle-nose pliers and a men's grooming kit.

I like all kinds of movies, and generally find myself unable to
come up with a fast answer when I'm asked to pick a favorite one. I
like documentaries. I like quirky indie things. Action movies have
their charm, but most of the ones I enjoy probably benefit from
nostalgia. Comedy is probably my reigning champion among the
genres.
Music is a constant presence in my life. I've always wanted to
really learn to play it, but I don't think my failings in that
regard preclude me from enjoying it. It would take me pages to list
all the bands I love, but I can try to give you a taste. "Classic"
(read: genre-defining) acts like Zeppelin, Floyd, Hendrix, Bob Marley, The Stones, and so forth. I love
harder rock like Metallica, Rammstein, Tool, and Type O Negative , as well as
punk stuff like The Ramones, NOFX, Guttermouth, Aquabats ,Pennywise, or Bad Religion. As for the category
of "Bet you'd never have guessed:" things like the Dresden Dolls (even saw 'em
live in SF), Regina Spektor, Jonathan Coulton
(I dare you not to enjoy "First of May" or "The Future Soon"), and
lately even some Lady Gaga. Oy. I hate to sound horribly cliché,
but I really do listen damn near everything, except for pop or
country (And I even have a little of that). I also love me some
NPR, especially
This
American Life, though it's been a while since I took the time
to listen to it. I love The Daily Show and The Colbert
Report, The Venture Brothers,
Breaking
Bad,Futurama
(what the hell is up with the new episodes being so tragically
mediocre?), Archer,
It's Always
Sunny in Philadelphia, The Wire, and of course The Simpsons (even
though they haven't been good in years...sigh). I love sushi, Thai, Indian, Italian - really I'll try almost
anything, and I'll probably like it, too. That statement is almost
definitely about more than food. I also love to cook, and I should
probably eat out less. I love to read, though anymore it seems that
so much of what I read is outside of books, and that saddens me a
bit. Beyond the news, I like various webcomics like Penny Arcade,
xkcd, or Perry Bible
Fellowship(which has nothing to do with religion, in spite of
the name). I've been diving into some Howard Zinn lately, and after that
I've got some Chomsky, some Carlin, and some Vonnegut. And
Alan Moore,
Neil Gaiman,
or Warren
Ellis (Transmetropolitan may change
your life). Perhaps I'll read this summer in lieu of summer school.
I can already tell there's no way to get it all in here. Just ask.

Everything - my mind just won't shut up long enough for me to know
peace. Philosophy, politics, religion, psychology, sociology, food,
inventions...the list is insane, so really, I just spend a lot of
time thinking about a ridiculous variety of subjects (ranging from
"The nature of karma" and "How to keep the wheels of social
progress turning" and to "Why doesn't anyone on the Enterprise
listen to rock music?"). My mind absorbs knowledge like a sponge,
though my memory seems to have more in common with a sieve. (Edit:
Sponges have holes, too, so maybe the sponge metaphor is more
accurate than I originally thought.)

I would prefer to think of my Friday nights as less-than-typical,
but I'm being idealistic. Dive bars are fun. Drinking at home with
friends is fun. Parties are fun. Dinner out with a friend (or more
than a friend) is fun. Staying at home culling the Netflix stream
is fun. Rock Band is fun. Video games are fun. Fun things are fun.

The Velveteen Rabbit had a very bad (and somewhat lasting) effect
on me, leading me to hold some bizarre animistic ideas about
inanimate objects with eyes. I don't really believe they're alive
or have souls or anything, but somehow it messes with me when I
have to get rid of certain things. It sounds funny, but you try
being six and having to get rid of some stuffed animals that you
believe are going to be hurt, lost, and confused the moment you
slam the dumpster lid.

You know when the narwhal bacons (or even if you don't). You want
to talk to someone different (I am certainly that). You want to get
to know a weirdish guy with a good heart, an irreverent (and
occasionally evil) sense of humor, a well-developed vocabulary, and
a fairly twisted (and unique) perspective. Perhaps you're tired of
the same old. Perhaps, like me, you're beginning to think that
dating someone new all the time is less fun than you thought it
would be when you were younger, or perhaps you're looking for an
anchor to date new people with. Maybe you'd like to talk to someone
who can not only make you smile, but genuinely enjoys doing it.
Maybe you've been listening to Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen, Jeff
Buckley, or Rufus Wainwright), and it got to you, and you want to
discuss it with someone else. Or some other song in a similar way.
Or just about anything that should be discussed over drinks on a
porch or patio - that trivial knowledge of mine comes in handy
sometimes (which, yes, I know, seems contradictory). Or just
because you feel like it...I'm ok with that.